Murray Kaufman came from a show business family: his mother, Jean, played piano in vaudeville and wrote music and his aunt was a character actress on the stage and in film.

Though Freed's spot was briefly occupied by Bruce Morrow, who later became known as Cousin Brucie on WABC, Murray was soon moved into the 7–11 pm time period and remained there for the next seven years, always opening his show with Sinatra and making radio history with his innovative segues, jingles, sound effects, antics, and frenetic, creative programming.

[2] Murray the K reached his peak of popularity in the mid-1960s when, as the top-rated radio host in New York City, he became an early and ardent supporter and friend of The Beatles.

When the Beatles came to New York on February 7, 1964, Murray was the first DJ they welcomed into their circle, having heard about him and his Brooklyn Fox shows from American groups such as the Ronettes (sisters Ronnie and Estelle Bennett and their first cousin Nedra Talley).

[3] In December 1964, Murray announced his intention to resign from WINS on the air, breaking the news that the station had been sold and would soon switch to an all-news format.

He introduced him to boos at a huge Forest Hills Tennis Stadium concert in August 1965, saying, "It's not rock, it's not folk, it's a new thing called Dylan.

"[6] WOR-FM switched to the tighter and hit-oriented Drake format, in which DJs weren't allowed to pick the music and talk as much, so Murray the K left New York radio in August 1967 to host programs in Toronto—on CHUM—and on WHFS 102.3 FM in Bethesda, Maryland, in 1972.

Although it was low-key, Murray's WNBC show featured his innovative trademark programming style, including telling stories that were illustrated by selected songs, his unique segues, and his pairing cuts by theme or idiosyncratic associations.

[7] In early 1975, he was brought on for a brief stint at Long Island progressive rock station WLIR, and his final New York radio show ran later that year on WKTU after which—already in ill health—he moved to Los Angeles.

Throughout his radio career, from the 1950s through the 1970s, Murray also released numerous LP record albums, often compilations of hits by the acts that appeared in his famous Brooklyn Fox shows.

"Meusurray" (named after a language game Murray invented and based on a technique used by carnival barkers to attract a crowd was a regular shtick on his 1010 WINS radio show)[9] was a single by the girl group The Delicates, released on the United Artists label.

The Delicates were Denise Ferri, Arleen Lanzotti and Peggy Santiglia ("Murray's Original Dancing Girls") They wrote the song which was arranged by Don Costa.

The show aired on June 28, 1965 and featured performances by many of the popular artists of the day, including Jan & Dean, Mary Wells, the Dave Clark Five, The Supremes, The Drifters, Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, Ray Charles, Marvin Gaye, The Ronettes and The Righteous Brothers.

He also ran shows with British Invasion bands that included The Zombies and The Yardbirds (who featured both Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin fame, on guitar).

[citation needed] In 1966, Murray collaborated with media art collective USCO to design and produce the psychedelic multimedia event The World, which took place in the Roosevelt Field abandoned airplane hangar in Long Island and was dubbed the first discotheque.

Music acts that performed included The Young Rascals, The Hollies, Del Shannon, The Isley Brothers, and Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels.

In 1968, Murray produced and hosted a studio panel discussion program entitled "The Sound is Now"; it included appearances by Phil Ochs and Sonny and Cher who were grilled by Henry Morgan and Tex McCrary.

The week-long, three-shows-a-day presentations continued throughout the most explosive periods of civil rights unrest in the mid-'60s, culminating in Kaufman's final show at the Brooklyn Fox Theater with a line-up that included The Who and Cream in their American debuts.